Formula 1 is targeting 17-18 races in 2020 by filling the summer break and introducing shorter events to reduce the workload.

Officially, the first four races of the season are classed as postponed, not cancelled, with even Australian organisers not ruling trying to host a race again later in the year.

That number could jump to as many as seven if the three Grand Prix's scheduled for May are also called off and now, with some time to breathe, F1 has started focusing on what happens next.

"Maybe we take a hiatus, we take a pause, and then we use that opportunity to say right, at the beginning of the year we won't have any races and we'll look at relocating those races later in the year," F1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn told Sky Sports in an interview.

"I think by freeing up the August break, we give ourselves several weekends where we can have a race and I think we can build a pretty decent calendar for the rest of the year.

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"F1 is in unchartered territory," he noted. "But I'm pretty optimistic that we can have a good 17-18 race championship or more.

"I think we can squeeze them in, but it depends on when the season will start.

"It will look different, but it will still preserve a good number of races and they're exciting races. So the season's going to start later, but I think it will be just as entertaining."

It was reported by Auto Motor und Sport that F1 could take the extraordinary step of extending this season into 2021 to reschedule the lost races, with the all-new regulations expected from next year, pushed back to 2022.

That could certainly help avoid the prospect of another triple-header, which teams vowed not to do again after the first one happened in 2018.

However, Brawn says efforts to make the idea more palatable are being made.

"One thing we have been talking about is two-day weekends, and therefore if we have a triple header with two-day weekends, that could be an option," he explained.

"I think what we need from the teams this year is flexibility, I think they've got to give some scope to do these things because we are in very unusual circumstances, and we've got to make sure we've got a season that gives a good economic opportunity for the teams.

"For sure we're going to have a quiet start. I'm sure the teams will be flexible to allow us to fit those things in."

One thing that could work in F1's favour is the decision by all teams to shut down factory operations until March 29 and put staff into self-quarantine.

That period of rest then will effectively replicate the summer break, meaning teams could be more open to a more intense schedule over a shorter period than if the season had begun in the coming few weeks.